March 26, 2025 - Philanthropy and nonprofits have played a critically important role in building out a strong and vibrant social sector that meets the needs and dreams of diverse communities across the United States. At the same time, the sector is fraught with power imbalances. This came into sharper focus in January, when the federal government began rolling back funding and issuing executive actions targeting every corner of the social sector. While a number of foundations have made bold public commitments to stand up for nonprofits during this unprecedented time, there has been very little public coordination while most foundations remain largely silent. This has forced many nonprofits—and by extension, the communities they serve—to face these unprecedented challenges alone. 

Today, the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, along with Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) and the National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP), announced a call to action to address the gap of coordinated response from the philanthropic sector. The new public commitment invites funders to work together to move in solidarity with nonprofits, mobilize money in trust-based ways, and nurture possibility and innovation. The commitment offers a set of concrete actions that reinforce core principles of trust-based philanthropy, including an emphasis on relationships of mutuality and unburdening nonprofits’ access to financial resources. It also invites grantmaking organizations to publicly sign on to express their commitment to “do everything in their range of influence” to extend trust-based support to nonprofits at a time of heightened urgency.

Read the full commitment here. 

The recommended actions emerged from conversations with and insights from dozens of nonprofit and foundation leaders about the most strategic and impactful ways that philanthropy can show up for the sector right now. In addition to reiterating signature trust-based practices such as multi-year unrestricted funding, simplified and streamlined processes, transparency and responsiveness, and support beyond the check, the commitment highlights the urgency of the moment by inviting funders to think creatively about ways to collaborate, increase their grantmaking budgets, and to nurture nonprofit innovation and reimagination amid a highly uncertain future. Some of the funder commitments include:

• Advocate for the social sector by using your platform, organizing peers, and engaging elected officials and other decision makers about what is at stake and what we can do about it.

• Increase your grantmaking budget for the next four years. For some, this may mean eliminating administrative costs from the required 5% payout, or making stock grants in addition to your core grants. For others, it could mean giving at the level that your endowment is growing.

• Explore funding beyond the conventional 501c3 structures, such as LLCs, 501c4s, fiscally sponsored organizations, mutual aid networks, and donor circles.

The details of the commitment were shared today on a webinar hosted by the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, with nearly 400 funders in attendance to discuss how philanthropy can show up in support of nonprofits.

This is not the first time funders have had the opportunity to respond to crises and move in solidarity and toward power-sharing with nonprofits. Five years ago, in response to the COVID pandemic, over 800 funders came together with a pledge to remove burdens from nonprofits, recognizing that the time for business-as-usual was over. Today’s context may be different, but it is similarly dire, with nearly 90% of nonprofits reporting that the current political climate is negatively affecting their organizations.

“When nonprofits suffer, philanthropy suffers,” said Shaady Salehi and Pia Infante, Co-Founders and Co-Executive Directors of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project. “We know many foundations are working behind-the-scenes to prepare for what’s ahead, but if that work is not done in collaboration with nonprofits, then we run the risk of losing decades of collective progress. Our sector and our communities are facing real threats; our survival depends on coordinated action that supports values of equity, inclusion, and community accountability. Let’s raise the bar when we can, and resist lowering it each time a crisis comes to pass.”

“This call to action is rooted in the practice of listening,” said Nick Tedesco, President and CEO of National Center for Family Philanthropy. “This commitment resonates with NCFP because it is about philanthropy being in service to the nonprofit sector: embracing flexibility, exploring what’s possible within your system, and figuring out how to mobilize given very real constraints. Trust-based philanthropy is the modern practice of philanthropy that we all need to embrace, full stop.”

“There is power in collectively focusing on possibilities, not just problems,” added Marcus Walton, President and CEO of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. “We are deeply committed both to our collaboration with Trust-Based Philanthropy Project and NCFP, as well as supporting the sector to live into its greatest possibility.”

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About Trust-Based Philanthropy Project

The Trust-Based Philanthropy Project is a funder-to-funder advocacy initiative to make equitable grantmaking and community accountability the standard of practice for effective philanthropy. We believe that advancing a just and equitable society requires philanthropy to shift away from a donor-centric mindset toward a community-centric one. This transformation often begins when funders reimagine grantmaking practices to facilitate greater trust, transparency, and mutuality in their relationships with nonprofits. Since 2020, the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project has supported a growing network of funders who are operationalizing trust-based philanthropy as a strategy for social impact. We build tools, facilitate peer networking, and offer insights and learnings to help funders take steps toward a fully embodied commitment to trust-based philanthropy. Learn more at www.trustbasedphilanthropy.org. 

About Grantmakers for Effective Organizations

Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) is a community of funders committed to transforming philanthropic culture and practice by connecting members to the resources and relationships needed to support thriving nonprofits and communities. With intersectional racial equity as a core commitment, we envision courageous grantmakers working in service of nonprofits and communities to create a just, connected and inclusive society where we can all thrive.

Alongside our membership of more than 6,000 grantmakers at philanthropic organizations of all sizes and types across the globe, we work to lift up the grantmaking practices that matter most to nonprofits and that truly improve philanthropic practice. Our approach is grounded in core values of love, racial equity in practice, community-centered collaboration, and trust and accountability. Learn more at www.geofunders.org. 

About the National Center for Family Philanthropy

The National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP) is a network of philanthropic families committed to a world that is vibrant, equitable, and resilient. We share proven practices, work through common challenges, and learn together to strengthen our ability to effect meaningful change. Our range of programs and services support family philanthropy at its many points of inflection and help families embrace proven practices and advance momentum. Explore our resources, all rooted in a Family Giving Lifecycle, by visiting www.ncfp.org.